Package-feed mechanism



May 1, 1923.

C. H. NlTSCH ET AL PACKAGE FEED MECHANISM Filed March 1922 3 SheetsSheet l J Z Z WW m m V W N A TTORNE Y5 May '1, 1923. 1,453,720

C. H. NITSCH ET AL PACKAGE FEED MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 1, 1922 May 1, 1923.

C. .H. NITSCH 'ET AL PACKAGE FEED MECHANISM Filed March 1, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 gyvuznl'ow JAM a. $6 4M 551 6 M Gnome 45 uses where some Patented May 1, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.onAnLEs H. mason AND WILLIAM A. WEIGHTMAN, or LOGAN, PHILADELPHIA,

PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO STOKES & SMITH .PHI'LADELPBIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION COMPANY, "or sU MERnALn; or PENNSYLVANIA- PACKAGE-FEED MECHANISM.

\ Application filed March 1, 1922. Serial No. 540,289.

To all whom it may concern: I Be it known that we, CHARLES H. Nrrson and WILLIAM A. WEIGHTMAN, citizens of the United- States, and-residents of Logan,

Philadelphia. in the county of Philadelphia and State'of'Pennsylvani'a, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Package-Feed Mechanism, of which the fo lowing'is a specification.

In The object of this invention is to provide mechanism for feeding packages or articles to machines, such as cigarette package stamping machines, which require a great volume of packages to be supplied in a stated time, and in a certain way.

The invention will be herein exemplified and described as especially adapted for feed- 'ing cigarette packages to stamping machines of the general class disclosed in United States patent to Fogde and Southwick, N 0.

1,244,438, Oct. 23, 1917, in which the packages are advanced in a row on a belt conveyor, the packages being separated into groups, usually five or ten in each group,

2 with a positive pusher or blade engaging the rear package of each group; The conveyor is. moved intermittently-and ach group is brought to rest at a station where stamps are applied, and then moved awayanddis- 3') charged, or additionally operated upon. Machines of this class at the present time are operated rapidly, and require the supply of a larg volume of packages, which must be grouped and positioned in substantial'accordancewith the arrangement above described, and placed upon the stamping machine feed. belt in advance of stampin position, and between two of the feed blades. Our invention, as will appear hereafter, 4 meets the described conditions; but it is not intended to limit the invention to this specific use or construction, and evidently structural features" may be varied considerably, andthe invention may be'adapted to other or all of the conditions are similar... j In th accompanying drawingst Fig. 1 is a side elevation of package feed mechanism embodying the invention, shown in association. with -'a cigarette. package stamping machine of the class above mentioned...

r 1 I .zE-ig. 2 is --a detailv from the same view point, showing-a different operative position.

associated in the present exemplifying em-- bodiment, with the package conveyor of a machine for applying revenue stamps to cigarette packages, of the general type disclosed in the patent to Fogde and South-- wick, above mentioned. A horizontal frame member 1, forming apart or an extension of the frame of such a stamping machine is shown in the present drawings. This frame member supports a shaft 2 carrying a. channeled belt pulley 3, over which runs the stamping machine packag feed belt 4. This belt is provided with equally spaced blades or package pushers 5. It is necessary to supply to the feed belt, 4, groups of packages of equal number, these packagesbeing in the present instance cigarette packages P of th pouch type, and they are to be placed on the belt 4 in upright position and in edge wise contact, with five packages, in thev present'instance, arranged between each pair of pushers 5. Of course, the number of packages can be varied within reasonable limits. The feed belt 4 is driven'intermittently by suitable mechanism,- (not here shown), and the successive groups of packages are thus located at. a stamping position and stamped and then moved onward for discharge or for further operations. Stamping machines of the general type indicated, operate at a-relatively high speed and a larg number of packages must be supplied to them per minute in order to run them at their maximum capacity, and it has heretofore-been .a. difficult problem to supply the packages in the proper way, rapidly enough to satisfy the requirements.

' The cigarette packages P of the pouch form here shown,- or of other suitable form, are produced bypackaginga'ndwrapping machines of various'types, and the present.

invention, consisting-of feed mechanism for- 4 supplying the packages to thestamping-machine, is devised so as to receive .packages in an advantageous way from one or a number and of such packaging or wrapping machines, and is'also devised so that at the same time it which can be rapidly handled and placed upon the conveyor, belt of the present invention for the discharge of their contents, and the packages can be otherwise suppliedto the feed mechanism, explained hereafter. The inventionfurther includes means for advancing the packages which are placed upon the feed belt in any of the ways mentioned, in orderly row-arrangement, corresponding to'the package-group arrangement required by the stam' ing ma chine, as above described, and for discharging these packages row by row in proper-position upon the stamping machine feed belt. with each row or group properly located between two of the pusher blades 5, while the feed belt 4 pauses at the package receiving position.

Feed belt 4 runs over a plate or table 10,

formed as a part or extension of frame memher 1, and a row of packages .P is supported guided in relation to the belt by a vertical back plate is secured to a frame yoke 13 and a front wall or guide plate 14 secured to frame membeer 1 and having ,an upwardly divergent" package guiding face 15.

The feed mechanism of the present invenaion is built on and around a frame comprising side plates 18, secured to frame member a 1 and properly connected and spaced apart by suitable means including a cross rod 19. The side plates 18 support a table 20' and vertical guide rails 21, located near the sides of the table. The outer end of the feed mechanism frame may be supported by adjustable legs 22 secured to the table or to the I guide rails 21, and the table may extend to a point more or less remote from the stamping machine, in accordance with the manner inv which the packages are to be supplied. The variable length of the table is sufficiently indicated by a ortion broken away at 23. The conveyor of t e present feed mechanism is in the form of a continuous belt 26, the upper stretch of which runs over the table 20. The belt is supported by a drive pulley 27 at its delivery end and an idler pulley 28 at its outer end. Pulley 27 is carriedby a shaft 29, mounted in bearings in side plates 18, and is driven by sprockets and a chain 32 from a shaft 34 supported in frame brackets 35. Shaft 34 is continuously driven by bevel gears 37 from'a shaft 38, which is in the present instance a part of the stamping machine, and is driven by sprockets and a chain 40, or some other operative part of the stamping machine, not here shown. The idler pullev or belt roll 2-8 is carried by shaft 42 mounted Mb in bearing arms 43 secured to the outer end as sufiiclently further 12, the upper end. of which circular cam body cam groove 73 is driven, 'so that the rock shaft 54 is oscil- 'lated to and fro during each cycle of the of the table, and these arms may be made adu'stable by a slot and bolt connection, as at 44, for the proper tightening of the belt.

The table 20 is interruptedabove the belt pulley 27 and a portion 46.0f the table extends beyond the belt toward package discharge position and is provided with slots 47 accommodatin curved package stop blades 49. One en of each of these'bladesis pivota-lly connected at 50 to a tilting frame 51, pivotally connected at 52 to arms 53, fined on a rock shaft 54. The tilting fram carries a plate 55,. the lower. end of which is movable adjacent to a package supporting flange or ledge 57-operatively integral with arms 53. The tilting frame 51 is provided with a lug 59 engaging a stop pin 60' on one of the arms 53 to limit the tilting movement in one direction.

To oscillate the package handling ,unit, comprising blades 49, tilting fram es 51', arms ,53 and the package flange '57, rock shaft 54 stamping machine conveyor 4.

The curved blades 49 pass between guide bars or rollers 77, and the blades are provided with hooked ends 7 8 to engage one of the bars, to control the tilting of frames 51.

A portion of table 20 extends beyond the package tilting position, indicated approximately by the position of shaft 54, and at the inward end of table portion 80 is a tilting package shelf 82 urged normally to upper horizontal position by a spring 83.

Antenor to the package tilting position, the rows of packages pass beneath a transverse guide plate 85. having an upwardly curved edge 86. and in advance of this guide plate is a package engaging roll 88 carried by arms 89 pivotally connected to guide rails 21. The downward movement of the roll 88 is limited by stops 90 connected to arms 89'and arranged to engage the upper edges of gu de rails 21.

that the cross piece 95. \vith'the connected guide strips 92, may be disconnected and swung. away to give access to the packages .package discharge position. This plunger 1s carried by vertical rods 103 arranged to slide in sleeve 104 and 105 in frame yoke 13. The lower ends of the sleeves are adjustably connected to a cross piece 107, pro vided with a horizontal: channel 108, in which engages a roller 109 carried by a 'crank arm 110, connected to the rearward end of shaft 38. In this way the discharge plunger is moved down and then returned at each rotation of shaft 38, that is, in each cycle of the machine. "The rear plate 12,

previously mentioned, is vertically slotted to provide for the connection of the plunger 102 to rods 103. The lunger has an outer vertical or package con ronting face 114 and a horizontal package top engaging face 116. It is desirable to provide means for moving the plunger 102 independent of the movement of its driving'rods 103. For this purpose the plunger may be connected to one vof the rods by a handle 120, which acts at the same time as a spring operated plunger, urged-into engagement with a' notch or socket provided in the adjacent rod 103. Normally the inward end of the handle plunger is in engagement with the socket, and thed scharge plunger 102 is thus connected to move'properly in the normal cycle of operations. But by pulling out the handle the plunger or head 102 may be released and moved. down independently-to eject a row of packages or it may be similarly'released and held up while the machine is in operation to prevent package feed to the stamping machine conveyor belt. Also when the plunger is depressed it may in this manner be released and raised to give access to arow ofpac-kages for the purpose of removing packages which may have become displaced or damaged.

The package supply conveyor 26, as previously indicated, may be of considerable length. and in fact, may. when necessary, extend twenty or thirty feet or more away from the stamping machine, and in such a case will usually extend past the discharge points of a plurality of packaging or wrapln imachine from which the acka es' are P e discharged upon the conveyor, either in orderly rows or columns, by mechanism which does not form a part of the present invention, or they may be arranged to a greater orv less extent'by hand operations. In other cases. the supply conveyor 26 may be considerablyshorter and packages may be placed upon it by theju'seof trays, or a vertical packagehoppermay be placed over the conveyor, and the packages discharged from; this wrapper automatically, in rows.

'By whatever means the packages are sup plied to the-conveyor, at some Point considerablyin advance of the package stop and the guide strips49, the. upper stretch of the conveyor carries aplurality. of-rows of packages -P,-.as suiliciently. indicated in F igs.- 1 and 4.: -In the present case there are five packages in each row, arranged horizontallyor with one broad side down upon the belt, and the open ends of the pouch packages are arranged toward the rear. This grouping of packages agrees with the design of this particular stamping machine in which a group or row of five packages is to be positioned and stamped simultaneously. Evidently other numbers of packages may be provided for in each row, as may be necessary or desirable within reasonable limits. Several rows of packages are consolidated or brought together by the movement of thebelt and in the position of parts shown in Fig. 1, the foremost package row is in contact with the stop strips 49.

Package advance is thus prevented and the feed belt slides frictionally below the packages. Any humping or dislocation of the packages adjacent to the foremost row is prevented by the guard or guide plate 85 and also by the guide roller 88. The arms 53 are now oscillated by movement of rock shaft 54, impelled by the rack 63. Package stop strips 49 move toward the left and downward between the guide rods 77 and presently the plate 55 is brought to horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 2, flush with the The frictional -im-- package table surface. pulse of the feed belt now moves the package rOWs forward until the forward ends of the foremost row encounter ledge 57, which is now in vertical position. Further package advance is then revented, and the rock shaft 54 is soon oscillated in a clockwise direction and the package row lying on plate 55 is moved in an arcuate path until the packages stand upright, and at about this time the hooked ends 78 of strips 49 engage one of the guide rods 77; further movement of the upper end of the tilt ing frame 51 is prevented and the lower end of plate 55 is moved to the rear, pressing the bases of the packages forward so that the package row is located in the rearmost position of the several roWs resting on table portion 80, Fig. 1. In their turning or tilting movement the packages are guided by the strips 92 and in final position on table surface ,80 the package ends are engaged by the spring clips 100, as previously described. Each operation of the package tilting mechanism advances a row of packages. onto the tilting shelf 82, with their upper ends below the plunger 102, which 1s at this moment in elevated position. The plunger is then depressed and forces the foremost row of packagesdown along the surface of guide plate 12, the shelf 82' tilting downward to permit the packages to descend. The row of packages is thus placed upon conveyor belt i, just ahead of one of the pushers blades 5, the belt 4 being at this time stationary. During its descending movement the vertical face 114 of the plunger slides along in contact with the vertical broad faces of the ad- Vance row of packages, remaining on table surface 80. The head is then again elevated, conveyor 4 moves forward, and the operations are repeated indefinitely.

Whatpve claim is:- 1; Package or" article feed mechanism, comprising aconveyor-belt adapted to frictionally advance a row of packages, means for stopping a package row, means for repositioning a package row, and means for frictionally advance a plurality of rows of Pa g of packages,

means for checking package ad- Vance, means for receiving and turning packages one row at'a time to a' new position, and means for discharging packages one row at a time in'their repositioned relation.

.4. Package or article feed mechanism, comprising a feed belt adapted to hold and frictionally advance a plurality of rows means for checking package advance, means for receiving and turning packages one row at'a time to a new'position, means for supporting one or more rows of repositioned packages, and: means for discharging packages one row at a time in their repositioned relation.

5TPacka'ge" or article feed mechanism,

I comprising a feed belt adapted to support horizontally --inv 'a pluralit o 7 rows. tilting mechanism. adii an advanced row of packages and move it to: substantially vertical and frictionally advance packa s arrange contacting.

position, means for receiving and retaining a vertically posi-- tioned package row, and means for discharging a package row substantially package length direction.

6.Pa'ckage or article-"feed mechanism,

comprising a feed' belt adapted to support r and frictionally advanceg packages arrang v I horizontally in a plurality of- -contact'j-rovvs,

ptedto receive 'ing member,

' substantially upright tilting mechanism adapted to receive an ad-.

ing the package rows upon the conveyor duringthe row turning operation, means for yieldably supporting the foremost vertically positioned package row, and means for discharging the foremost row substantially in package length direction.

7. Package or article feed mechanism, comprising a feed belt adapted to support and frictionally advance packages arrange horizontally in a plurality of contacting rows, tilting mechanism adapted to receive an advanced row of packages and move it to substantially vertical position, means for receiving and retaining a vertically positioned package row, a discharge plunger arranged to engage the upper ends of packages of the foremost vertically positioned row, and means for moving the plunger to eject said row in substantially package-endwise direction.

8. Package or article feed mechanism, comprising-a feed belt adapted to support and frictionally advance ackagesarranged horizontally in a plum ity of contacting 'rows, tilting mechanlsm adapted to receive an advanced row of packages and rotate it cally positioned retarding the package rows upon theconveyor during the row turning operation, means 'for yieldably supporting the foremost vertically positioned package row, a discharge plunger arranged to engage the upper ends of packages of the foremost ver-- tically positioned row; and means for moving the-plunger to eject said row in 'substantially package-endwise direction.

9. In package and article feed mechanism, the. combination with a feed belt, "a table, andpackage discharge means, of package turning mechanism comprising an oscillating member, a package carrying plate thereon," apackage supporting ledge, and a pack-' age stop member. 110. In package nism, the combination with a' feed .belt

d 'ada ted to advance a plurality of rows of a table, and of package horizontally arranged packages, package-row discharge means, turning mechanism comprisingan oscillata package carrying plate, and a package supporting-ledge thereon adapted to receive a row-of packages and move it to or vertical position. IL-In'package and article feed mechanism,*'the combination with ajfee dbelt, a

table,-and package discharge means, of an oscillating frame, means frame, and a tiltin frame connected tothe for oscillating the I .us and article feed mocha v oscillating frame and comprising a package receiving plate, a substantially arcuate pack-. age stop strip, and means cooperating with the guide strip to tilt the tilting frame toward the-end of the movement of the oscillating frame.

12.. In package and article feed mecha nism, the combination with a feed belt, a table, and package discharge means, of an oscillating frame, a package-supporting ledge thereon, means for oscillating the frame, and a tilting frame connected to the oscillating frame and comprising a package receiving plate, a substantially arcuate package stop strip, and means cooperating with the guide strip to tilt the tilting frame toward the end of the movement of the oscillating frame.

13. Package feed mechanism comprising a feed belt for advancing packages in substantially horizontal position, a table to receive packages in substantially vertical position, means for moving packages advanced horizontally and delivering them to the table in vertical position, and means for guiding packages in their approach to vertical position.

14. Packa e feed mechanism comprising a feed belt ihr advancing rows of packages in. substantially horizontal position, a. table to receive package rows in substantiallyvertical position, means for moving package rows advanced horizontally and delivering them to the table in vertical position, and means for guiding package rows in their approach to vertical position.

15. Package feed mechanism comprising a feed belt for advancin packages in substantially horizontal position, a tableto receive packages in substantially vertical position, means for moving packages advanced horizontally and delivering them to the table in vertical position, means for guiding packages in their approach to verticalposition', and means for yieldably engaging and retaining packages in vertical position on the table.

16. Package feed mechanism comprising a feed belt for advancing rows of packages in substantially horizontal position, a table to receive package rows in substantially vertical position, means for moving package rows advanced horizontally and delivering them to the table .in vertical position, means for guiding package roW-s in their approach to vertical position, and means for yieldably engaging and retaining package rows.

17. Package feed mechanism com'prisinga feed belt for advancin packages in substantially horizontal posit on, a table to receive packages in substantiallyvertical position,

means for moving packages advanced horiz'ontallv and delivering them to the table in vertical position, means at the discharge end of the table for yieldably supporting packcal position, means for moving package rows ages, and a discharge plunger arranged to engage packagesin position on said yielding support and discharge them with ac-. companying yielding movement of the support. I

18. Package feed mechanism comprisinga .feed belt for advancing rows of packages in substantially horizontal position, a. table to receive package rows in substantially vertiadvanced horizontallyaand delivering them to the table in vertical position, means at the discharge end of the table for yieldably supporting a package row, a discharge plunger arranged to engage packages in position on said yielding support and discharge them with accompanying yielding movement or" the su port.

19.' ackage feed mechanism comprising means for advancing packages, a package discharge plunger, means for reciprocating the plunger, and means for releasably connectlng the plunger to the reciprocating means. Y

20. Package feed mechanism comprising means for advancing rows of packages, a package row discharge plunger, means for reciprocating the plunger, and spring-retained means for releasably connecting the plunger to the reciprocating means.

21. Package feed mechanism comprising a conveyor advancing a succession of packages in contact, means for ,checking the packages, and means adjacent to the checking means for preventing buckling or displacement of packages on the conveyor.

22; In package and article handling mechanism, the combination with a machine in which packages are advanced on a conveyor in groups, each group consisting of a row of upright packages, of means for supplying packages to saidconveyor in proper ar-- rangement, comprising means for advancing packages in substantially horizontal position and in rows, each row containing a number of packages corresponding to one of the conveyor groups, meansfor moving the package rows successively to upright position, and means for placing successive upright package rows upon t machine conveyor.

23. In package and article handling mech anism, the combination with a machine in which packages are advanced on an intermittently moving conveyor in groups, each i group consisting. of a row of upright packages, of means for supplying packages to said conveyor in proper arrangement and at proper intervals comprising means-for advancing packages in substantially horizom tal position and in a plurality of contacting rows, each row containing a number ofpackages corresponding to one of the conveyor groups, meansifor moving the package rows successively to upright position, and means I 139 u1 3 b tal" Position,

. iiirp'liiqiag suec'es's i've'uprightpackage rowsf a'pion the "machine o e '"24,"Tbe"' combination with a' package labeling machine of the class'described' in'- cludin'g'fa, package conveyor, of'a feed belt extending'a distance from l said conveyor and adapted to'frictionally' support and advance a" plurality pf rows of packages in substanr means for rotating-single package "rows successively 'to substantially upright position, means for retaining one or more package rows in uptrightposit'ion and advancing them by the positioning of successive rows, and means I tially horizontal posit-ion, means for retarding theIpackages and rotating single rows successively .to substantially upright posiages arelaced upon a carrier and advanced a for labe'ing, the packages bein 40- .tion, means for retaining a pluralit 1 package rows in upright vancing them by the positioning of sucees "sive rows, the foremost upright row, and means for discharging the successive foremost rows veyor position an admeans for yieldably supporting downward upon the labeling machine conduring' its periods ofrest, i 26 Package supply mechanism devised as an attachment 'for a package la chine in which successive groups of packarranged in a row in groups n substantia 1y position with an equal 'number of ackages in eachgroup, said supply mechanism com- ,veyor: and adapted of rows of packages n horizontal position,

tion a) the labeling mac ing ma-- upright prising .Wirameadapted for connection to said labeling machine, a feed belt arranged to advance "continuous y toward the labels ingma'chine' conveyor and. adapted to sup-'- ports, plurality of rows of zontal; position, each pac sponding'to the" package labeling machine," means or "turning ackage'rowsadvanced successively by sai belt to substantially 11 right position, and means for'dischar'gi'ng t e rows successively in upright position to the labeling machine conveyor.

27. Package supply mechanism devised asan attachment for a package labeling machine inwhich successive groups of packages are placed upon a carrier and inter-J mittently advanced for labeling, the packages belng arranged in a row and groups age row correroupmg of said ,in substantially upright position with an of packages in each group,

equal number said supply mechanism comprising a frame adapted for connection to said labeling machine, a feed belt arran to advancecontinuously toward the la ling machine conto support a'plurality each package row corresponding to the package grouping of said means for turnin packa successively by right position,

ge rows advanced means for further. advancing the package rows, and means for discharging the rowssuccessivelfi' in upright posiine conveyor dur ing its periods of rest.

Signed at Philadelphia and State of. Pennsylvanialthis 25th-day of Feb. A; D., 1922.

CHARLES H. NITSCH; 1 WILLIAM A. WEIGHTMAN,

ackages in horilabeling machine,

Philiadelphia in the county of said belt to substantially up- 

